The Asian Cricket Council is expected to endorse the hybrid concept for the Asia Cup that the PCB has suggested.
Asian Cricket Council to Endorse PCB’s Hybrid Concept for Asia Cup 2023
The Asian Cricket Council (ACC) is set to adopt the PCB’s hybrid proposal for the Asia Cup, with Sri Lanka serving as the neutral site where India’s games may be played. The model predicts that Pakistan will host four of the tournament’s 13 games and maybe five. The final, assuming India competes, and all of the India-Pakistan games will take place in Sri Lanka.
After the weekend, it’s anticipated that the official authorities will state the next cricket event. The event is currently planned to run from September 1 through September 17. According to reports, Lahore will serve as the venue for the Pakistani portion of the competition. Despite the current epidemic, organisers work closely with government health officials to provide a safe environment for the participants and employees. To guarantee the event’s success, all teams must adhere to tight regulations and the COVID-19 rules. International cricket fans are anticipating the formal announcement and the resumption of live cricket with great interest.
The expected clearance signals a significant milestone in a standoff that has jeopardised ICC tournaments, most pressingly the World Cup in India this year. Still, the Champions Trophy in Pakistan in 2025 has continued for a while. A deal reached here might make it easier for Pakistan to visit India for the World Cup.
Test and limited-overs cricket are combined under the hybrid format, as the name indicates, to create a new competition. Since neither India nor Pakistan wanted to visit the other’s nation, it was suggested that the cricket match occur somewhere neutral. The Pakistan Cricket Board, however, was in a challenging situation because hosting rights were at risk due to India’s unwillingness to travel to Pakistan.
The Pakistan Cricket Board proposed a hybrid plan to address this problem, in which the limited-overs series would take place in Pakistan while the Test series would be played in a neutral location. In addition to resolving the hosting rights issue, this choice gave Pakistani cricket fans a chance to watch their favourite players in action. Despite the political conflicts between the two neighbouring countries, the hybrid model was an attractive solution for both nations.
Pakistan, a country that enjoys playing cricket, proposed the UAE as a second location for the open competition, noting the chance to make money from gate receipts for Pakistan-India matches. However, when Bangladesh voiced concern about the severe weather in the Middle East in September, concerns were raised. The intense heat might hurt the players’ performance and result in the imperfect competition. Moreover, it is necessary to consider the worries about player security.
The International Cricket Council is deliberating on the ultimate choice of the tournament’s location in light of these worries. While ensuring the security of the players and spectators, the board must strike a balance between the interests of all participating teams. The tournament’s financial element cannot be compromised at the same time. The best choice that pleases all parties will be made after carefully weighing all the relevant criteria.
In a meeting in Dubai a few weeks ago, Pankaj Khimji, the Oman Cricket leader and the ACC vice president, received information on the hybrid model from PCB chairman Najam Sethi. It was the answer the PCB had suggested to explain why India wouldn’t visit Pakistan for the tournament because of ongoing political issues between the two nations.
As the event’s chosen host, the PCB has been determined to guarantee that at least parts of the tournament are played in Pakistan. Thus, those political links have made the road to this solution lengthy and complicated. Sri Lanka wanted to host the event, and the UAE was a potential neutral site. The BCB and SLC have previously rejected a hybrid model.
Nepal and India have been placed in the same group in the six-nation Asia Cup, which will be played in the 50-over format as part of World Cup preparation. Afghanistan, Bangladesh, and Sri Lanka are in the opposite group.
The final will be one of a total of 13 games that will be contested over 13 days. The top two teams from each group are anticipated to proceed to a Super 4s phase, where the top two teams from that round compete in the final, similar to the structure from 2022. If India and Pakistan go to the last, there is a chance that they will face each other three times.
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